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Everyone in Malawi is football crazy!
The beach at Mwaya Beach
Carrying water from the borehole
RIPPLE Africa's sign outside Mwaya Beach
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Cost of the Programme
 

Duration of Placement

Paying Your Deposit and Balance

IMPORTANT! Refund Policy
Volunteer Accommodation
Orientation and Volunteering
What Does the Money Pay For?

Extra Costs, Flights, etc.

Cancellation
Volunteers at the community library Georgina tutoring two secondary school students
 

Cost of the Programme (accommodation only) — Volunteering in Malawi, Africa

The cost of the RIPPLE Africa volunteer programme at Mwaya Beach, Malawi, is based on a non-refundable deposit of GB£300 plus an additional amount dependent on the duration of your placement (please see the table below). Please also make sure you read our Refund Policy.

Duration of Placement
We would prefer our volunteers to make a commitment of a minimum of three months, although shorter stays can be arranged. It is important to recognise that, although the volunteers will benefit enormously from their experience at Mwaya, our main responsibility is to provide consistent and effective assistance to the community.

Please note that, although the vast majority of our volunteers stay for three months, some have stayed for six months or longer. Most of the volunteers who have stayed longer have had a great time and have achieved a tremendous amount, but it does not suit everyone.

 

Non-refundable
Deposit

GB£300

Non-refundable
Deposit

GB£300

Non-refundable
Deposit

GB£300

Duration of Placement

Plus
Additional Cost
for Placement Duration

Duration of Placement
Plus
Additional Cost
for Placement Duration

Duration of Placement

Plus
Additional Cost
for Placement Duration

1 week

£150

9 weeks

£975

17 weeks

£1,450

2 weeks

£300

10 weeks

£1,050

18 weeks

£1,500

3 weeks

£450

11 weeks

£1,125

19 weeks

£1,550

4 weeks

£600

12 weeks

£1,200

20 weeks

£1,600

5 weeks

£675

13 weeks

£1,250

21 weeks

£1,650

6 weeks

£750

14 weeks

£1,300

22 weeks

£1,700

7 weeks

£825

15 weeks

£1,350

23 weeks

£1,750

8 weeks

£900

16 weeks

£1,400

24 weeks

£1,800

 

For placements longer than 24 weeks (six months), please e-mail us for the cost of the placement.

 

Paying Your Deposit and Balance
Once you have received and accepted an offer of a placement (please read the section What Happens Next on The Application Process page), you will be required to pay the non-refundable deposit of GB£300 to secure your place. The balance for the period of your stay is payable at least four weeks before departure. If your departure is within four weeks of acceptance, then the total figure is payable immediately. Once we receive a confirmed itinerary, we will inform our Malawian Managers and Coordinators.

You are solely responsible for paying the deposit and balance for your placement — we do not agree with volunteers raising money from family and friends to pay for the cost of their placement, and you should not use your JustGiving fundraising page for this purpose. However, we do encourage you to raise additional funds for RIPPLE Africa, both before and after your placement — please read the section Fundraising and Donations on The Application Process page.

IMPORTANT! Refund Policy
The deposit of GB£300 is non-refundable. As it is very difficult for us to fill volunteer places at short notice if someone cancels prior to starting their placement or leaves the programme early, we require a 12-week notice period, and we can only refund any money already paid in excess of 12 weeks from cancellation of, or departure from, the volunteer placement. For example, if your placement is for 24 weeks and you decide to leave after eight weeks, you would be entitled to a refund equivalent to the cost of the last four weeks of your placement period (i.e. placement length of 24 weeks minus 8 weeks spent at Mwaya Beach minus 12 weeks notice period = 4 weeks). Please remember that nearly all of the money you pay for your placement goes directly towards running our charitable projects in Malawi. Refunds may be paid in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Directors of RIPPLE Africa.

Volunteer Accommodation
This comprises five lovely beach chalets with two to three people sharing, communal hot and cold showers, and toilets. Harry and Agnes, the cooks, prepare the evening meals and wash up. Martha and Gedess wash all the clothes and bed linen, and clean the showers and toilets. The property, which is located right on the beach, and the local area are really beautiful. For more information about Mwaya Beach, please click here.

 
Two of the volunteer chalets at Mwaya Beach Dinner on the beach at Mwaya Beach A view through the trees at Mwaya Beach
 

Orientation and Volunteering
When you reach Mwaya Beach, Malawi, you will be introduced to the RIPPLE Africa staff and volunteers. Joey (Manager at Mwaya and Building Projects Manager) and Morton (Volunteer Projects Manager) will provide an introduction to Mwaya, the projects and the volunteering opportunities. Although there will be guidelines and some structure, there is a high degree of flexibility, and we encourage individual volunteers to use their initiative.

What Does the Money Pay For?
You will be responsible for the costs involved in getting to Mwaya (i.e. flights, in-country transport, etc.). The payment to RIPPLE Africa pays for your accommodation and the services provided at Mwaya Beach. The balance is used to fund the projects run by RIPPLE Africa, together with paying for approximately 120 Malawian staff, and it is the charity’s main source of funding — the money is used carefully and effectively to improve the lives of and opportunities for the local community. You will be responsible for food costs, which are operated through a volunteer “kitty”. It would be best to allow GB£20 or US$30 per week for living at Mwaya Beach plus an additional GB£10-GB£30 or US$15-US$45 per week for trips during your stay, local transport costs, and other personal expenses (e.g. buying curios, airtime for phone calls and internet, etc.).

Extra Costs, Flights, etc.
You should allow for the following costs — but shop around:

 
Flight from the UK: Approximately GB£700 or US$1,050
Travel medical insurance: Around GB£15 or US$22.50 per month
Malaria prophylaxis: Between GB£0.25 and GB£2.20 or US$0.38 and US$3.30 per day, depending on what your doctor recommends. To get up-to-date prices, go to the Travelpharm website (please note they do not send to non-UK addresses)
Vaccinations: Approximately GB£150 or US$225, depending on what your doctor recommends
Visa/temporary resident’s permit: Up to GB£163 or US$244.50 (after your initial 30 days, and depending on the length of your stay in Malawi — see Visas section)
Accommodation, meals, taxis, etc. in Lilongwe and transport to Mwaya at start and end of trip combined: GB£100 or US$150
Monthly costs at Mwaya, including food, drink and visits to Mzuzu: From GB£120 to GB£240 or US$180 to US$360 per month, depending on how you live
 

Cancellation
Please see our Refund Policy above.

 
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Company Registration No. 04823686 • UK Registered Charity No. 1103256
 
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